CTET 2026 September exam, set for 6 September, is postponed by CBSE. A correction window is open till 10 September 2026 (notice dated 7 September 2026) and the revised exam date is still awaited. Pattern and qualifying marks inside.
The CTET 2026 exam date for the September session, originally set for 6 September 2026, has been postponed by CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education). Per the CBSE notice dated 25 August 2026, issued after the Supreme Court's judgement in a review petition, the exam will not be held on 6 September 2026, and the revised date is still awaited as of 7 September 2026. CTET is conducted through the official portal ctet.nic.in in offline OMR (pen-and-paper) mode.
This guide gives you the current CTET 2026 status in one table, what the postponement means for the admit card, the notification and reopened-application schedule, how many CTET sessions there are in 2026, and the exact exam pattern with qualifying marks. CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) is an eligibility test: qualifying earns you a lifetime certificate to apply for teacher posts in KVS, NVS and central-government schools, and it is accepted by many states.
Yes. The CTET September 2026 exam, which was scheduled for 6 September 2026, has been postponed by CBSE through a notice dated 25 August 2026. CBSE cited the Supreme Court's judgement in a review petition and reopened the application window from 25 August to 1 September 2026, so that eligible teachers get a fair chance to acquire the TET qualification. Per the ctet.nic.in notice dated 7 September 2026, CBSE has now opened a correction window for the CTET SEP-2026 application form, and the last date to make corrections is 10 September 2026. The revised exam date is still awaited: CBSE has published no revised exam-date notice.
Until CBSE publishes the new date on ctet.nic.in, treat every date below as either confirmed history (notification, fees, the February session) or "to be announced". Do not rely on any circulating date that CBSE has not officially confirmed.
| Event | Status |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 11 May 2026 |
| Original application window | 11 May to 10 June 2026 |
| Reopened application window | 25 August to 1 September 2026 |
| Original exam date | 6 September 2026 (postponed) |
| Correction window | Open now, last date 10 September 2026 (notice dated 7 September 2026) |
| Revised exam date | Still to be announced as of 7 September 2026 |
| Admit card | To be announced with the new date |
| Result | About one month after the exam |
The CTET 2026 admit card date has not been announced, because the exam itself is postponed. CBSE will release the admit card on ctet.nic.in a few days before the revised exam date, and you download it using your application number and date of birth. A separate exam city intimation slip usually comes a few days earlier so you can plan travel to your centre.
Your admit card will carry the revised exam date, shift and reporting time, centre address and exam-day instructions. Keep your login details ready and check ctet.nic.in regularly once the new date is announced, so you do not miss the download window. Carry a printout plus a valid photo ID to the centre.
CBSE released the CTET September 2026 notification on 11 May 2026, and the original online application window ran from 11 May to 10 June 2026, with a correction window from 15 to 18 June 2026. After the postponement, CBSE reopened the application window from 25 August to 1 September 2026 for new and existing applicants. Applications are accepted online only at ctet.nic.in. Per the ctet.nic.in notice dated 7 September 2026, a correction window for this cycle is now open, and the last date to edit your form is 10 September 2026.
The application fee is Rs 1,000 for one paper and Rs 1,200 for both papers (General and OBC), and Rs 500 for one paper and Rs 600 for both papers (SC, ST and PwD). Fees can change between cycles, so always check the fee on ctet.nic.in before you pay.
| Category | One paper | Both papers |
|---|---|---|
| General / OBC | Rs 1,000 | Rs 1,200 |
| SC / ST / PwD | Rs 500 | Rs 600 |
There are two CTET sessions in 2026, because CBSE conducts CTET twice a year, in February and September. The February 2026 session was held on 7 to 8 February 2026, with its result declared on 30 March 2026. The September 2026 session is the second one, now postponed from 6 September 2026 to a revised date that CBSE will announce. So if you did not appear in February, the postponed September session is still your second chance this year.
After the 2026 September session, the next window is the February 2027 session, expected early in 2027 on CBSE's twice-yearly cadence (dates not yet announced). Two attempts a year lowers the pressure on any single sitting, and the certificate you earn is the same and valid for life.
CTET has two independent papers: Paper I to teach classes 1 to 5, and Paper II to teach classes 6 to 8. Each paper has 150 MCQs for 150 marks in 150 minutes, with +1 per correct answer and NO negative marking. The qualifying mark is 60 percent (90 out of 150), relaxed to 55 percent (82 out of 150) for reserved categories, and the CTET certificate is valid for LIFETIME.
Each paper covers Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, and subject sections (Mathematics and Environmental Studies in Paper I; Mathematics and Science or Social Studies in Paper II), each block carrying 30 marks. Across the CTET 2019-2024 papers we analysed, Child Development and Pedagogy is the discriminating 30-mark section: pedagogy questions decide who clears, because most aspirants handle the subject content but lose marks on child psychology and teaching-method application.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Papers | Paper I (classes 1 to 5), Paper II (classes 6 to 8) |
| Questions per paper | 150 MCQs |
| Marks per paper | 150 |
| Duration | 150 minutes |
| Marking | +1 correct, 0 wrong, 0 blank (no negative marking) |
| Qualifying | 60 percent (90/150); 55 percent (82/150) reserved |
| Certificate validity | Lifetime |
Because there is no negative marking, you should attempt every one of the 150 questions: a blank scores the same as a wrong answer (zero), so a reasoned guess only ever helps. This single rule shapes CTET strategy: maximise attempts and accuracy, never leave a question empty.
Right now, if anything in your form needs fixing, use the correction window that closes on 10 September 2026, then keep preparing while you wait for the revised exam date. The postponement gives you extra study time, so use it to strengthen Child Development and Pedagogy, the 30-mark section that decides most results. Watch ctet.nic.in for the new exam date and the admit card announcement.
CTET is an eligibility test, not a direct recruitment: qualifying makes you eligible to apply for teacher recruitments (for example KVS and NVS drives) that open after the result. Prepare on a paper that behaves like the real one: our CTET mock tests on Quiz4Exam mirror the 150-question, no-negative-marking format for both Paper I and Paper II, and for a full study plan read our CTET preparation strategy guide. For eligibility and syllabus depth, see the Quiz4Exam exam blog.
When is the CTET 2026 exam date? The CTET September 2026 exam, originally set for 6 September 2026, is postponed and the revised date is still awaited. The latest CBSE notice, dated 7 September 2026, opens a correction window that closes on 10 September 2026, and no revised exam-date notice has been published.
What is the CTET admit card date 2026? The admit card date is not yet announced because the exam is postponed. CBSE will release it on ctet.nic.in a few days before the revised exam date.
Is there negative marking in CTET? No. CTET has +1 per correct answer and no negative marking, so you should attempt all 150 questions.
What are the CTET qualifying marks? You need 60 percent (90 out of 150), relaxed to 55 percent (82 out of 150) for reserved categories.
How many times is CTET held in 2026? Twice: the February 2026 session (7 to 8 February) and the September 2026 session (postponed from 6 September).
The CTET September 2026 exam was scheduled for Sunday, 6 September 2026, but CBSE has postponed it through a notice dated 25 August 2026, citing the Supreme Court's judgement in a review petition. Per the ctet.nic.in notice dated 7 September 2026, which opens a correction window closing on 10 September 2026, the revised exam date is still awaited. Check ctet.nic.in for the new date.
The CTET 2026 admit card date has not been announced, because the exam is postponed. CBSE will release the admit card on ctet.nic.in a few days before the revised exam date, and you download it using your application number and date of birth. A separate exam city intimation slip usually comes a little earlier.
No, there is no negative marking in CTET. Each correct answer earns +1 mark, and a wrong or blank answer scores zero. Because a blank counts the same as a wrong answer, you should attempt all 150 questions in each paper, using a reasoned guess wherever you are unsure. This makes attempt maximisation the core CTET strategy.
To qualify CTET you need 60 percent, which is 90 out of 150 marks in a paper. Reserved categories (SC, ST, OBC and PwD) get a relaxation to 55 percent, which is 82 out of 150. Qualifying earns a CTET certificate that is valid for lifetime and is used to apply for teacher posts in KVS, NVS and central-government schools.
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CTET is held twice in 2026 because CBSE conducts it twice a year, in February and September. The February 2026 session was held on 7 to 8 February 2026 with its result on 30 March 2026, and the September 2026 session has been postponed from 6 September 2026 to a revised date. The next session after that is expected in February 2027.
